Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a Carmel woman on criminal charges stemming from the unlawful use of another's credit card number.

In December of 2009, a Carmel resident called the Sheriff's Office and reported that someone had stolen his credit card and used it in purchasing more than $3,000 worth of items. The investigation was referred to Investigator Stephen Tricinelli of the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Investigator Tricinelli's probe indicated that between September and December of last year, an acquaintance of the complainant's, 31 year-old Loren E. Ferrante of 3 Ernhofer Drive, Carmel, New York, had obtained the complainant's credit card number and unlawfully used it in procuring a number of items over the three month period.

Ms. Ferrante was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class "D" felony. She was arraigned before Carmel Town Justice Joseph Spofford and released without bail pending a future court appearance. A conviction of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree may result in a jail sentence as determined by a court for up to 7 years in a New York State correctional facility.